'Movies on the Beach' to let viewers pick films by public vote, polls open now

MUSKEGON, MI – Movie-goers will get to pick the films they
want to watch at this year's "Movies on the Beach" series, which will return
for its second season this summer at Pere Marquette beach.

Attendees hang out before the start of a "Movies on the Beach" film screening last summer.Courtesy: Kerry Halloran

Voting has opened on the series' Facebook page and will
continue until May 6, said Kerry Halloran, who started the series last year,
after winning a Community Foundation for Muskegon County "Love Note" grant in 2011.

The movies, which are scheduled to take place June 28, July
26 and Aug. 23, pending city approval, were a hit last year, she said. About
500 people attended each screening, with some traveling from as far as Holland,
Grand Rapids and Chicago.

Since then, supporters have been quick to recommend movies
for the upcoming season.

"We had a lot of suggestions between last summer and the
last couple of months," Halloran said.

From the public's input, she narrowed
the list of possible films to three per night.

"We just tried to find ones that would appeal to a large
amount of people," she said.

For the "thriller/action/adventure" night, movie-goers can
pick between "Jaws," "Tremors" and "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost
Ark."

The choices for "Favorites (general audience)" night are "The
Goonies," "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and "Back to the Future: Part II."

And for the "kids/family" night, which is expected take
place in August to take advantage of the earlier sunset, the public can choose
between "The NeverEnding Story," "Tangled" and "Free Willy," Halloran said.

The "thriller/action/adventure" night scheduled for June, she
said.

The "favorites" night will happen in July, unless movie-goers choose "Tangled"
for the "kids/family" night, which would have to be shown that month instead,
per Disney's rules, Halloran said.

To cast a vote, movie-goers must log on to Facebook and head
over to the "Movies on the Beach" page, www.facebook.com/MoviesOnTheBeach.
Polls for each night will be on the page.

Halloran said she is finalizing plans for this year's
series. She is partnering with Renovate Church again and using a screen that
has been loaned to them by the theater department at Muskegon Community
College.

Halloran will also schedule local bands to play at the
screenings before the movies start, she said.